‘Psy Summer Swag 2022’ Sees K-Pop Superstar’s Thrilling Return To The Stage

Park Jae-sang, better known by his stage name Psy, was one of the first viral superstars. His 2012 song and video “Gangnam Style” racked up billions of streams and helped make K-Pop a global force. In his native South Korea, the so-called “King of YouTube” is also known as the “King of Concerts” thanks to his Summer Swag concert tours which drew legions of fans from around the country. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic meant Psy and the Summer Swag tours disappeared for several years. 

Like other countries, South Korea saw mass infections with over 34.5 million contracting the virus. Fortunately, the government’s quick response to the crisis saw a comparatively low death rate of just under 36,000. Psy spent the lockdown working on new music and in 2022 released the album PSY 9th, his first in five years. That summer the Summer Swag was back in full swing. The concert film Psy Summer Swag 2022 captures the festivities and is currently available for streaming on Hulu.   

Besides writing and producing his own music, Psy produces his own stage show. In a making-of video that follows the concert, his band members say he pays meticulous attention to every detail. A pre-recorded intro film sees Psy facing off against a buff trainer to get in shape for the show. When it’s over, Psy bounces up through and onto the stage via trampoline. He wears a sleeveless tunic and pants, the color somewhere in between Navy and Royal blue. 89% of the audience wears the same color. Later he’ll change into similarly sleeveless outfits in hot pink and white with a troop of male and female dancers following suit. 

The stadium is 2/3rds full but still appears to contain more people than live on the isle of Manhattan. The venue’s vastness mimics those found in science fiction and fantasy films, such as The Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire or the Galactic Senate’s Grand Convocation Chamber in the Star Wars franchise.   

From the first song to the last, Psy has the crowd in the palm of his hand, singing and dancing along to every number. “Everyone, tomorrow morning this will be your first thought, ‘I should’ve jumped more’,” he says between songs. A major part of the Summer Swag show are the water cannons, 28 in total, which douse the crowd non-stop. Summer in South Korea is hot and humid and the crowd expects to go home wet. They look forward to it. When the global water shortage begins in another 10 years, people will watch this film with a mix of wonder and indignation, unable to comprehend the world that once was. 

The first English heard spoken is “3-2-1 GO!“ before the opening song. Though the majority of Psy’s lyrics are sung or rapped in Korean, English is used as a declamatory second language throughout the show, used for calls to action or song titles, usually in all caps, like “RIGHT NOW” and “I LUV IT.” It makes you wonder about the future of language itself. Will it one day be reduced to nothing but catchphrases? When we can have full conversations with emojis, do we still need language? Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Though there’s a certain meaninglessness to many of Psy’s club bangers, a noble tradition that goes back to “Tutti Frutti” (well, actually that’s about anal sex) and a million nursery rhymes, other songs speak frankly of lost love and the changing perspective of time. “Father” finds Psy acknowledging the sacrifices his father made to raise their family while animation shows a man in a business suit dragging a house through the desert, reducing many in the audience to tears. Another song laments, “When someone you love leaves you / and you get sick of meeting new people / and you’re comfortable being alone / you feel empty inside.“ It’s like a Smiths lyric except the music sounds like a mix of Smash Mouth and Max Martin.

It may come as no surprise that I speak no Korean whatsoever and must rely on subtitles to understand anything. Still, many lyrics translate wonderfully, whether or not something has been lost or reconfigured in translation. “Life is a single malt whiskey / That’s why we call it artistry / Life is like a poker game / I call, I raise, I’m all in,” is one I wrote down. “Let me be your celebrity / I’ll always make you happy / Acting singing, comic relief / I’ll do it all,” is another good one. “I’ll make you laugh for eternity / Just like the first time we met.” He’ll make you laugh for eternity. Dude is confident. 

Towards the show’s end, Psy introduces “It’s Art,” saying it’s the song he’s most proud of writing. “This moment is like a dream to us / This dance is meant for the two of us / This feeling is like art / So nuts,” the lyrics scroll across the bottom of my screen. “It feels like I’m soaring through the sky / So happy right now / I don’t care if I die / My heart’s speeding at an all-time high.” Interestingly, the lyrics rhyme in both Korean and when translated into English. Perhaps once, tens of thousands of years ago, we all spoke the same language.

Psy Summer Swag 2022 is a reminder of K-Pop’s enduring appeal and music’s ability to cross boundaries and bring people together. Like so many other artists, Psy’s return to the stage reflected the indomitable spirit of those who supported each other when faced with the uncertainties of a pandemic-stricken world. Most importantly, it shows that the best way to mark the passage of life altering events is with a completely over the top party.  

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician.